Nor does Apollo always keep his bow drawn
by Scarecrows-Laugh
Summary: The light had lost. She had lost. But she would not give up. Not until she had tried everything to make things right again.
1. Chapter 1

_Hermione remembered that when she was little everyone ignored her. She was too smart for the other children and yet not smart enough to be considered more than a child to the adults that she knew. She remembered being alone. _

_Long ago the bushy haired brunette had learnt to isolate herself in the magic of the written word. Already curious enough to become intelligent, she developed her knowledge as she read, often finding comfort in the facts that she kept. Taunted and teased her for her aptitude and the strange things that happened whenever she was near, her books remained her only solace. _

_Until one day, one day she was introduced into a world of magic, where anything was possible if you had the brains and determination. Hermione thought she was free, and yet the magical world was as cruel and harsh as the muggle one. She had no friends, she had no hope, she was filth in a world of gold. _

_And then Harry and Ron saved her life, and she had friends and everything was bright and sunny and new. That was until she learnt about the upcoming war. Loyal to a fault she remained supporting her two foolish friends as together they completed many quests that forced them into adulthood prematurely. She had fought and had the scars and skills to prove it. The light had lost. She had lost. But she would not give up. Not until she had tried everything to make things right again._

Hermione quietly made her way through the stone corridors of Hogwarts castle. She was careful and precise as to where she walked to enable her to quickly hide if a death Eater happened by. She was slow in her movements as her body ached from the abuse it had taken during the battle. She had been sure to staunch all blood wanting to make sure she would leave no trail as she made her way through the halls. After spending so many years of her life within the walls of the school hermione had no trouble making her way to snapes office. Quietly closing the door behind her she weeved her way through scattered objects to find his personal stores.

Hermione had changed since being tortured by bellatrix, some thing in her had broken and a dam of magic flowed freely through her veins. She had purely instintual magic to tap into and this allowed her to quickly solve the complicated ruins and take down the wards protecting many of Severus's potions. Shuffling quickly through the polyjuices and felix felices she found the _Per Vicis. _She was going to settle this once and for all.

She gulped down five and a half tea spoons before smashing the vial against the wall. Closing her eyes she felt the magic hum through her body at a terrifying rate. Letting a hiss escape her lips as the world tilted around her she collapsed to the floor. Closing her eyes tight and creating half moon indents in her hands with her nails, hermione fought back the urge to scream. Finally when she felt her eyelids being ripped from their place did she let out a roar of pain. And then it was gone and things were still.

When she braved opening her eyes the adolescent saw a fat walrus of a man who was very much younger than when she had last seen him. Horace Slughorn. Hermione let out a sigh of satisfaction. She had arrived to her desired destination. The forties awaited her.


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione was not stupid. No, she was known for her intelligence, well she had been known for it. But as she stared at the walrus sitting with crystallized pineapple in his mouth she knew she had been extremely foolish. How could she have forgotten that someone might occupy these chambers, that someone might witness her arrival into the forties? Slughorn sat with his mouth gaping as a wheezing and spluttering was emitted from his throat and Hermione looked at him with disgust. Picking herself up from the floor she turned to the still shocked man and spoke in a raspy voice.

"Sorry." And as simple as that she exited his chambers. Knowing she only had a short period of time until the whole school would be set upon her, Hermione rushed through the darkness, desperate to reach the come and go room as quickly as possible. Her breath was short and painfully loud so it was no wonder she was hindered by the head boy doing his rounds. The harsh light of Lumos made her squint before her eyes adjusted. She stared at the strict face of a handsome boy who was fiercely scowling at her. With a quick flick of his eyes he determined that she was injured and his scowl deepened.

"It is well past Curfew." He hissed expecting a flinch or a cower instead he saw her roll her eyes.

"Your powers of deduction amaze me." His eyes narrowed at her reply.

"Ten points from..." She wasn't in uniform. A grin spread across her face as he trailed off.

"Don't worry; I'll be out of your hair in a moment, oh and by the way," as she walked around him she leant towards his ear, "Take the points off Slytherin." She winked and tried to walk away as quickly as possible. Her wrist was caught in his grip before she had made two steps.

"An injured student is to immediately report to the hospital wing and its matron, did you not read the rules and regulations that are pasted on caretaker Pringle's door?" Hermione couldn't help bet let loose a peal of laughter and the head boy watched in amazement as her head fell back and her eyes crinkled. She laughed until she was breathless and cacking.

"Well then we must head there directly." He scowled and turned his back on her.

"Follow me." She grinned at this opportunity and had her wand out in a flash.

"Stupefy." Tom riddle, the head boy she had been reading about since the beginning of the war was thrown through the air and slammed into the wall unconscious.


	3. Chapter 3

There was something terribly wrong with tying up an unconscious body, it made Hermione uncomfortable. However she had long ago learnt to ignore what made her uncomfortable and trust her knowledge that if she did not do this, if she did not tear her own soul, she'd condemn future generations to the wrath of a madman. It was such a pity though, such a tremendous pity that someone who was so talented so beautiful would be slain by her own hand. Hermione had always admired intelligence, often getting irritated at people's lack of, but she valued loyalty and honesty and bravery far above the capability of the mind. Love, she recognised was the driving force of good and bad, and love is what held the world together and this young man threatened everything she loved.

She could fell him stirring his body struggling to fight the deadened sensation of his body caused by the shock of her attack. His eyes were the most startling shade of green. He looked at her with such wariness and even though his face remained stony there was an underlying feeling of shocked fear. Hermione doubted he'd been this vulnerable since he was at the orphanage.

She raised her wand and with a viscous slash a flash of green light she felt something go terribly wrong. She watched his body arch from the tale she had placed him on. A scream of agony gurgled from his mouth. She watched as his eyes went white and with a surge of magical force she was thrown back. She vomited, feeling her energy drain.

With her eyes blurry and her head heavy she watched as a silver cord burst from her chest and was sucked into the mouth of Tom Riddle as he convulsed on the table. He fell still and closed his eyes as if peacefully as the bonds around his body slowly untied seemingly on their own.

She vomited again. The acidic taste in the back of her throat burning and her teeth becoming fuzzy. She blearily opened her her eyes to watch as the head boy lifted his lids and revealed red irises and dark pupils that watched her with curiosity. When she vomited for the third time she promptly blacked out.


End file.
